How it is possible to remake a reality show: The Hills and Siesta Key

 The new show Siesta Key is a reality television show on MTV and there is about to be a third season that is going to be made to air. The show features young, attractive, and wealthy men and women who are partying in Siesta Key, Florida. The main characters on the show are Alex Kompo, Juliette Porter, Kelsey, Chloe, Brandon, and Madisson. The plot of the show revolves around constant drama that affects the cast and their personal relationships as they are always out partying and getting into fights, and at times this makes it seem a bit scripted, yet it is still projected on screen as reality television. The show Siesta Key reminds me of the show The Hills, which I used to love to watch when I was younger. This show ran for 6 seasons and focused on the personal lives and drama that surrounded the women and men of Los Angeles, California. These young women and men also came from affluent families and enjoyed partying in their free time.

There are many similarities between these two shows. As someone who has watched both in depth, I am able to easily see just how alike they are. For starters, the cast members on The Hills and Siesta Key pretty much mirror each other. On the show The Hills, the cast has main characters Lauren Conrad, Audriana Patridge, and Heidi Montag who are all attractive young women. These young women are shown partying and having fun as they deal with relationship and friendship drama. Siesta Key also features all attractive young women on their cast constantly having fun and partying.

The way that the episodes are created on the show also are similar to The Hills. The beginning introduction episode features the song “Cut to the feeling” everytime the show is coming on, and it showcases the cast as they are enjoying themselves in paradise. The Hills uses the song “Unwritten” for every introduction before each of the episodes start. The episodes are also all narrated by characters in the show. Lauren Conrad is shown narrating the episodes in The Hills, and explains what is happening between the characters amidst all of the drama that occurs for a more dramatic affect. Siesta Key features Juliette Porter narrating the episodes, which also creates a dramatic affect on the episodes. Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag are known for their toxic relationship that bothers the other cast members on The Hills, and this creates a lot of the drama that is on the show. Alex Kompo and Juliette Porter on Siesta Key also have a toxic relationship, as they are constantly fighting in public and breaking up on the show when Juliette is constantly told by different girlfriends of hers that he is cheating on her. On both of these shows, the other cast members are constantly getting involved in the relationships that occur. The families are even shown getting involved in the relationship drama on each of the shows. I remember watching an episode on The Hills where Spencer and Heidi eloped to get married and Heidi’s mother was furious with Spencer. Her mother in general was alwaysshown giving her opinion towards his behavior and Heidi and Spencer’s relationship in general. On Siesta Key, I see that the same thing happens. The show frequently shows Alex’s mom and dad giving their opinions about him and Juliette’s on and off relationship, and about how he should instead enjoy being young and not have to worry about committing to a relationship. Juliette’s mother is also put on the show more than once, and she talks to Juliette about how she needs to move on from Alex and be in a healthier relationship.

How does this connect to the show Siesta Key being “the remake” of the popular show The Hills? The Hills was ridiculed for being “scripted” and that it seemed like a soap opera format. When I watched The Hills as a guilty pleasure of mine, I did think that some of the scenes seemed scripted because of how over dramatic they were, but at the same time I did not want to believe it was scripted. I feel the same way about Siesta Key. The show has a bad reputation for seeming scripted. There is the same format as The Hills, and the characters are always dealing with tons of drama. Overall, I believe that both of these guilty pleasure shows I have watched are very similar, and that it is possible to remake the format and plot of television show.

One thought on “How it is possible to remake a reality show: The Hills and Siesta Key

  1. Hayley Parker
    I wrote a similar article on how Siesta Key and The Hills are basically just mimic series of each other. You brought up a good point comparing Heidi and Spencer to Juliette and Alex because mostly every episode is based around their drama and what is going on in their relationship. I think that reality television makes it hard to stay in a stable relationship because of all the fame and recondition that comes with it. Sadly, Juliette and Alex aren’t together anymore and Alex is back to his old ways. Being honest, I liked the two together and I feel like the fame got to Alex’s head more than anything.


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